Caravans of gold, fragments in time : art, culture, and exchange across medieval Saharan Africa
(Book)

Published on the occasion of the exhibition at the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, January 26, 2019-June 23, 2019; The Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, Canada, September 21, 2019-February 23, 2020; and the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, April 8-November 29, 2020.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 294-309).

"Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time draws on the latest archaeological discoveries and art historical research to construct a compelling look at medieval trans-Saharan exchange and its legacy. Contributors from diverse disciplines present case studies that form a rich portrayal of a distant time. Topics include descriptions of key medieval cities around the Sahara; networks of exchange that contributed to the circulation of gold, copper, and ivory and their associated art forms; and medieval glass bead production in West Africa's forest region. Featuring a wealth of color images, this fascinating book demonstrates how the rootedness of place, culture, and tradition is closely tied to the circulation of people, objects, and ideas. These "fragments in time" offer irrefutable evidence of the key role that Africa played in medieval history and promote a new understanding of the past and the present"--,Provided by publisher.